VOICES
NJCL OFFICER INTRODUCTIONS
Salvete, amici! I am thrilled to say your NJCL officers have been working tremendously hard this past fall to prepare for nationals and a wonderful JCL year! Most recently, we traveled to North Dakota State University, the location of the 2019 national convention, to tour the campus and get a feel of what to expect. However, I became particularly excited when I saw the Fargodome. I could practically hear the cheers of each JCLer funneling down to the center of the arena! The memories of previous conventions instantly played in my mind and excitement filled my chest. With that said, my experience in Fargo with the officers has only made me eager to see all of you at Nationals this coming summer. In the meantime, please be on the lookout for more fun activities from us and email me with any questions you may have at [email protected].
Ex animo,
Natasha Panduawawala
2018-2019 NJCL President
It all started when I had to choose my required language in the 7th grade. Much to my parents' dismay, I had not chosen to take Spanish or French. At the time, the only thing I really knew about Latin was that it was used for the spells in Harry Potter. I had no idea how much this choice would influence the next six years of my life. From battling Virgil’s hexameter in the Aeneid, to reading the love poetry of Catullus — studying Latin has been an extraordinary experience that has connected me with human beings who lived, thought, and wrote centuries before we were born.
The JCL holds a special place in my heart because it gave me a newfound confidence. If someone told me two years ago that I would be on the board of a national classics organization, I wouldn’t have believed them. I used to be the quiet girl who was too shy to talk to people first. The JCL changed that. The love and support that others gave me empowered me to run for office. I conquered all my self-doubt and followed my now favorite Latin quote, “Audentes fortuna iuvat.” I feel incredibly blessed to serve on the student board of this organization. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year holds.
E Corde,
Aleah Malik
2018-2019 NJCL 1st Vice President
NATASHA
ALEAH
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